CLOUD IS IN GRAND SHAPE
MANY CLOUDS, the winner of last season’s Crabbies Grand National, is ‘ready to rock n’ roll’ according to his trainer Oliver Sherwood when he runs in Saturday’s Betfred Giveaway Chase at Aintree.
“I’m expecting him to run a big race,” said Sherwood, when he paraded the gelding at his Lambourn stables.
“I would rather not see Don Poli in the race, but I will be disappointed if we’re not bang there at the finish.”
With two races taking place over the National fences at Aintree this weekend, Sherwood believes he has chosen the right one.
“The race we run in will have only half a dozen runners,” said Sherwood. “I don’t want him having a hard race but I want him to be competitive. He’s ready to rock n’ roll.
“We want to keep that dream alive of going back to Aintree in April. ”
Sherwood is aware of the fact that National winners have a poor record after winning the world’s most famous race.
“Bindaree, winner of the 2002 National, they tell me is the last horse to go on and win another race,” said Sherwood.
“I want to get that monkey off his back. I was initially disappointed with his comeback run at Wetherby last month.
“But reflecting on that performance, he was bang there with Cue Card at the second-last then he blew up. Like a majority of mine he needed the outing.
“He’s not missed a beat since that run. He schooled well last week with Leighton Aspell and did his last bit of serious work this morning.”
Many Clouds, 20-1 with Betfred for this season’s National, is 5-1 from 7-1 for Saturday’s race with Don Poli heading the market at 13-8. Unlike last season, Sherwood will not be running Many Clouds in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“There’s only three weeks between Cheltenham and Aintree this time, unlike last season when therewerefour,”addedSherwood. “But what do I know?
“I didn’t want to run the horse in the National. I thought it was a year too soon. Fair play to Trevor Hemmings [his owner] it was his decision. “We’ve had two Grand National winners from this yard. Battleship in 1939.
“It would be remarkable to do it again.
“We’ve had some lean times before Many Clouds came a long. I’m happy to be called the comeback kid!”
In the hope of attracting a bigger audience to Channel Four, next year’s Grand National will start at 5.15.